Hercules Andrew, the 19-year old man from La Poterie, St. Andrew's who was
convicted for the murder of a former St. Joseph's Convent, Grenville
Student, Skitta Edgar of the same address has been sentenced to 14 years in
jail.
The guilty verdict of murder was returned by a 12-member jury panel last December at the Number One High Court.
However, Andrew had to wait until the start of the February Assizes since his lawyer, Anselm Clouden made a request for a social inquiry report to be conducted.
The youngster was charged with the offence of unlawfully causing the death of Edgar on January 9, 2006 by unlawful harm.
Drawing from the witness statement of Andrew's father, Dowlin Andrew, and the social inquiry report which described the youngster as a humble, easy-going, law-abiding and honest youth, Clouden sought to have the presiding judge, Madam Justice Clare Henry consider his client's character in administering punishment.
Clouden told the presiding judge that Andrew had no animosity or illwill towards the victim, and that "he is a stranger to the law."
However, Justice Henry dismissed Clouden's mitigating plea by stating "this was a most horrible murder," and that it was one of an aggravating factor. The presiding judge reminded the court that the murder of Edgar took place right inside her house and the manner in which the offence was executed by the accused.
In addition, she said this must have had some impact on the lives of the family, especially Edgar's younger brother. The 17-year old Edgar was discovered dead by her brother, Neil Edgar at their home in La Poterie. She was covered in a large pool of blood from multiple stab wounds around the area of her face and throat.
The State relied heavily on evidence obtained from three expert witnesses - medical doctor Keith Johnson, Acting Superintendent of Police (ASP) Trevor Modeste, and pathologist, Professor Lazaro Vega.
Dr. Johnson who conducted an external examination of Edgar's body at her home found seven injuries, three of which were deep penetrating wounds, one each on the left side of the neck, right side of the neck, and the left super clavicle region.
However, from the external and internal examinations conducted by Professor Vega, 13 wounds were discovered on Edgar's body. The pathologist's post mortem report which was accepted by the court in his absence ruled out rape in the incident.
Modeste who is a finger print expert was able to lift a bloody thumb print of Andrew on the door knob that leads from the bathroom to the bedroom of the house where Edgar's body was found.
In his defence, Andrew maintained that while wrestling with Edgar to get a knife from her, she got pricked with the instrument.
Justice Henry paid attention to Andrew's age which was 17 at the time of the offence as part of the mitigation.
The presiding judge said while she would like to give some consideration to Andrew's immaturity, the court cannot lose sight of the fact that a life was lost.
"The court must also do justice and not only show mercy," she remarked. Justice Henry said she had to impose a sentence which will show that society places a high value on life.
Andrew's 14-year custodial sentence is to commence from the time he was detained by the police in March 2006.
Justice Henry ordered that the accused remain in the prison literacy programme in which he had already enrolled, right up to the CXC level. Andrew, the father of a one-year old girl child, left the Tivoli Roman Catholic at Grade Nine.
